home Audience 12 How to induce sleep paralysis before bed. How to induce sleep paralysis. What is it and what are its causes? how to induce sleep paralysis in detail

How to induce sleep paralysis before bed. How to induce sleep paralysis. What is it and what are its causes? how to induce sleep paralysis in detail

Sleep paralysis (sleepy stupor) is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis with preserved consciousness; usually occurs when falling asleep or upon awakening. This pathology is often accompanied by complex hallucinations and strong fear. The phenomenon of sleep paralysis occurs in 5–40% of people aged 12–30 years, and is most common among people with narcolepsy. Sleepy stupor is considered to be physically harmless, but misunderstanding of its essence when experiencing it regularly is a significant psychological trauma.

Mention of sleep paralysis can be found in different cultures. Among the Slavic peoples, it is associated with mara (kikimora), a night bat (demon), who jumps on her chest in the middle of the night to warn about good or bad. In Mexico they say “the corpse climbed on me”, in Newfoundland (Canada) they call this condition “old witch”, in the Muslim tradition sleep paralysis attributed to the tricks of the jinn.

The picture of sleep paralysis is always the same: a person wakes up and realizes that he cannot move. Because of this, panic begins - even those who have such attacks often become scared; This is due not so much to paralysis as to the fact that the person does not fully understand what is happening. Due to incomplete awakening, the subconscious actively manifests itself, and a feeling of someone else’s presence in the room appears.

It is not surprising that such attacks have been the subject of hoaxes in the past. Some peoples considered paralysis to be the tricks of a brownie, others - the curse of a witch. Because of such beliefs, scientific interest in sleep paralysis for a long time did not have. However, modern researchers have found an imbalance between brain function and skeletal muscle tone during sleep.

Medical explanation for the condition

An analysis of people who have experienced sleep paralysis has shown that it occurs only in cases where sleep is shallow or restless. Rarely, the condition is associated with mental disorders.

There are two types of sleep paralysis:

hypnagogic - occurring when falling asleep;
hypnapompic - happens upon awakening.

The condition can last for varying amounts of time - from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. It appears after fast phase sleep.

Sleep is divided into two phases:

REM sleep - brain activity is at a level similar to wakefulness, but the body completely shuts down, except for the eyes, which move quickly. REM sleep lasts 15–20 minutes. It is during this phase that a person sees memorable dreams; It’s easiest to wake up in it.
Slow sleep. Lasts up to one and a half hours. It is divided into 4 stages, differing in depth. At the deepest of them, the bulk of dreams are dreamed that are not remembered. Despite the fact that the brain is deeply asleep during this phase, the body does not lose muscle tone.

Thus, if you wake up in the fast phase, you can experience sleep paralysis, and if you wake up a person, you will be able to slow sleep, an attack of somnambulism is possible. An attack occurs due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters, which leads to disruption of the smooth transition between phases of sleep.

Causes of sleep paralysis

At the core pathological condition lies a disorder in the sequence of onset of falling asleep or waking up consciousness and characterizing the phase REM sleep atony of skeletal muscles. The reasons for the development have not been precisely established. Predisposing factors are considered:

Sleep disorders. The presence of insomnia and narcolepsy increases the likelihood of other pathological changes in the course and sequence of sleep phases. Have a similar effect chronic lack of sleep, constant regime changes, frequent change time zones.
Psycho-emotional overload. Acute and chronic stress can cause disturbances in the regulation of sleep-wake cycles. Patients with paralytic parasomnia note an increase in episodes of paralysis due to mental stress.
Toxic effects on the central nervous system. For drug addiction, substance abuse, alcoholism, nicotine addiction, long-term use of certain pharmaceuticals (tranquilizers, antidepressants), the substances entering the body have a harmful effect on the brain. The consequence may be a malfunction in the functioning of systems that regulate sleep and wakefulness.
Sleeping on your back. Paralytic parasomnia occurs mainly in patients sleeping in a supine position. Sleeping on the side occurs without episodes of paralysis. The reason for this pattern is unclear.
Hereditary determination. The genetic basis of the disease has not yet been studied, but there are known cases of its occurrence within the same family.

Kinds

Classify this state according to the time of its appearance. Numbness during sleep, which is accompanied by hallucinations and the inability to move, is divided into the following types:

Hypnagogic or semi-conscious. Paralysis that occurs while falling asleep. As the body enters sleep mode, muscle tissue gradually relaxes. If this does not happen, but consciousness has not yet had time to switch off, the person remains on the verge of rest and wakefulness, unable to move and not understanding the reason for this state, as a result of which fear and panic arise.
Hypnopompic. It is experienced in the seconds of awakening caused by the sound of an alarm clock or the onset of naturally. In the REM sleep phase, the muscles are maximally relaxed (almost turned off), and brain activity sharply increased. If at this time the area of the brain responsible for consciousness wakes up, and the area that controls the muscles is still asleep, the person is aware of what is happening around him, but cannot do anything. Natural paralysis lasts from a few seconds to a couple of minutes and is impossible to fight.

Quick Facts About Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis most often occurs during adolescence.
Episodes of sleep paralysis are short, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Recurrent episodes are associated with narcolepsy.
Predisposing factors include excessive stress, jet lag due to long-distance flights, loss of sleep and panic disorders.
Sleep paralysis is a fairly common problem in the world; the estimated prevalence is 5–40%.
This condition is usually accompanied by hallucinations.
Inability to move and speak is a major feature.
Sleep paralysis may be associated with panic disorder.
Has no physical harm.
It can be prevented.

Provoking factors

There are several main reasons why this pathology occurs:

Taking narcotic and/or biologically active drugs;
Fighting sleep when you need to do work or read a book;
Hormonal disorders.

Note that real paralysis or stroke will occur for other provoking reasons.

If you are afraid that sleep paralysis will happen to you, the symptoms of which we have just described, when falling asleep, pay attention to the warning signs - the appearance of a feeling of vibration or falling. Did you notice them? Then try to calm down and not sleep on your back, choosing any other comfortable position.

Symptoms

Sleep paralysis has its own symptoms. Firstly, there is fear and a complete lack of understanding of what is happening. It seems to a person that someone is sitting on his chest, as he feels strong pressure in this part of the body. Because of this, breathing difficulties occur. All this, fear, difficulty breathing, and confusion, leads to an increase in the number of heartbeats.

Many say that they are completely disoriented, that is, they cannot understand where they are, whether this is happening to them in a dream or in reality. At the same time, those who experienced such a state stated that their body did not obey consciousness and moved separately from it. It also appears that there is someone else in the room who poses a clear threat. And this, again, causes fear, increases breathing and heart rate.

And finally, another symptom is sound, noise and visual hallucinations, in which it seems that a person hears someone walking around the room, talking, and also shadows flashing. And with all this, he is simply unable to move.

Is sleep paralysis dangerous? No, none negative influence it has no effect on the body. Of course, if this is not caused by one or another pathology. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly understand what sleep paralysis is and how to distinguish it from diseases that have similar symptoms.

These can be all kinds of parasomnias, for example, awakening disorders, which manifest themselves in confusion when waking up or sleepwalking, as well as in the form of night terrors. It may also include teeth grinding while sleeping, bedwetting, snoring, or apnea in children, which is a major infant mortality syndrome.

But what is most surprising is that after the attack is over, the person calmly falls asleep and sleeps on until he is woken up or wakes up on his own.

Diagnostics

As a rule, most people who experience sleep paralysis for the first time seek help from a specialist. It is not difficult for a doctor to recognize this disorder already at the stage of the patient’s story. For those who experience sleep paralysis more than once, but occur constantly with one frequency or another, the doctor will recommend keeping a diary in which to indicate everything possible factors risk of this condition, as well as your visions and feelings from them. Based on these records, it will be easier for a specialist to identify the cause of the development of sleep paralysis in a particular patient.

In order to clarify the diagnosis, the doctor you contacted initially may refer you to a somnologist (sleep specialist) or independently prescribe night or night sleep studies. nap– polysomnography (as a rule, there are no changes in the polysomnogram).

How to deal with night stupor

This disease does not require special therapy. Usually, to get rid of it, it is enough to slightly change your rest regime, in particular:

make sure that night sleep was at least 8 hours:
refuse night and overtime work, and go to bed no later than 23:00, preferably at the same time;
Before going to bed, you should stop watching TV, surfing the Internet and reading books;
when getting ready for bed, it is better to take a bath with medicinal herbs and have a drink Herb tea. A light relaxing massage will also be beneficial;
in the evening it is advisable to ventilate the bedroom, and it is better to fall asleep to calm melodic music;
It’s better to wake up not on your own, but by an alarm clock, because the mechanical trill of the alarm clock eliminates the occurrence of stupor!

In addition, you need to make changes to your own lifestyle, specifically:

stop using drugs or medications that may provoke this condition;
avoid stressful situations, master the practice of relaxation and avoidance of accumulated stress;
fight physical inactivity, for which you should go out every day Fresh air, play sports and do not avoid physical labor ( physical activity very important for strengthening the nervous system and forming connections between the centers of the musculoskeletal system and the brain).

There are situations when these changes do not help cope with sleep paralysis. In this case, the doctor may prescribe medications to the patient, in particular antidepressants. Taking such medications on your own to combat sleep paralysis is dangerous. Antidepressants are serious medications that have quite a few contraindications and side effects. In addition, not every antidepressant will help in such a situation, and some may even worsen the situation.

Herbal treatment

The safest and at the same time effective means To normalize sleep phases, the process of falling asleep and eliminating insomnia, herbal treatment is used. Herbal ingredients have a gentle effect on the body without causing adverse reactions.

Effective herbal treatment recipes:

Pour a handful of crushed fresh flowers of sleep grass into 500 ml of vodka and let it brew in a dark, cool place for 10-15 days. The resulting product should be filtered and taken 10 ml before bed.
Pour 20 g of valerian herb into 250 ml of boiling water and let it brew. The resulting infusion is filtered and taken in 100 ml.
Pour a handful of dry crushed hawthorn fruits into 400 ml of boiling water and leave for 1-2 hours. The infusion should be strained and drunk in three doses 30-40 minutes before resting.
Take valerian herb, mint, hop cones, crushed chicory root and honey in equal proportions. All ingredients must be mixed, pour boiling water and leave until completely cooled. The strained drink is taken 1-1.5 hours before a night's rest.
Dried calendula flowers, thyme and motherwort in a 1:1:1 ratio, pour 250 ml of boiling water and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain the warm infusion, add honey and drink at night.

Before using any herbal infusions, you should consult with your doctor, as they may interact poorly with the medications you are taking or enhance certain pathologies of the body.

Is the phenomenon dangerous?

Those who have at least once experienced such an experience are certainly then interested in how to deal with sleep paralysis, how dangerous it is for the patient, and whether there is a tangible threat to health and life. Doctors unequivocally say: the phenomenon itself does not pose a danger to a person if you do not try with all your might to escape from this experience, but calmly wait until the muscles return to normal and can function normally. If sleep paralysis or syndrome old witch rarely overtakes you, then you shouldn’t worry about it at all, try not to pay attention to the phenomenon.

If you are an extremely impressionable person and have a hard time experiencing this condition, then fear can persist in the future and poison your life. The likelihood of a repetition of a traumatic situation can lead to neuroses, insomnia, psychosomatic disorders and other psychoneurological diseases. And this is much more serious.

If you are looking for a method on how to get rid of sleep paralysis due to the fact that this experience is repeated over and over again, then you definitely should not turn a blind eye to the phenomenon, because this may mean that your body is not in order, you are experiencing serious stress caused by external or internal reasons.

But before going to the doctor, be sure to make sure that everything is fine with your nerves and no hereditary predisposition to sleep paralysis.

How to induce sleep paralysis yourself?

Some people deliberately try to fall into a state of sleep paralysis. How to do it? You can remember the position in which the phenomenon develops most often: on your back, during the process of falling asleep, preferably without a pillow or with your head thrown back.

There are special techniques that explain how to enter sleep paralysis yourself:

Technique of falling head down. To be more precise, it is necessary to reproduce the sensations that occur when falling upside down. The fall should be felt in every detail: tinnitus, wind, feeling of gravity. This is how you can enter a state of sleep paralysis;
Experience fear. You need to relax and reach a state of half-asleep. Then just remember something scary, and this effect should occur;
Physical activity before bed. Do squats and push-ups until you feel a strong heartbeat, this will help create the state you need;
Use cold water. Set your alarm clock 2-3 hours earlier than usual. When you wake up, wash your face cold water and lie down again thinking about it;
Too much sleep. If you can get a good night's sleep, do so, but don't get out of bed. Soon you will start to fall asleep again, but nervous system, which has already had time to rest, will soon manifest itself at the level of the physical body. Before falling asleep, think about sleep paralysis, and in almost all cases it will certainly occur.

There are many sleep disorders that can be associated with the presence of pathologies internal organs, so psychological problems. There is such a thing as sleep paralysis, which experts do not consider a separate disease. Many peoples have many superstitions associated with this condition. Let's try to understand the causes and manifestations of this phenomenon.

The Scientific Definition of Sleep Stupor

This disorder consists of the awareness of the inability to make movements or make sounds. There have long been attempts to explain what sleep paralysis or old witch syndrome is, which has given rise to beliefs and superstitions.

The pathology is manifested by a violation of the contraction of skeletal muscles. A condition occurs when it is impossible to move. It is most often observed after waking up from sleep or at the very beginning of falling asleep.

There is no such disease in the classification of diseases; domestic scientists and doctors do not use such a concept to make a diagnosis. The definition was introduced by foreign scientists.

Sleepy stupor can occur several times a night, accompanied by a feeling of fear and hallucinations.

The pathology is not life-threatening. This is just a violation of the coordinated work between the brain and muscles.

Psychological component of the condition

With old witch syndrome, the sensations are not dangerous, but, with psychological point vision, problems arise because:

There is a fear of dying.
The person feels like he is going crazy and is afraid of paralysis.
Fear of falling into a coma or falling into a lethargic sleep.

The horror of this condition is that the hallucinations are very realistic, therefore they frighten and cause a feeling of helplessness. Sound illusions are also typical. For a person with an unstable psyche, such conditions are quite severe.

Scientific explanation

Previously, the occurrence of sleep paralysis was associated with mysticism, but now doctors and scientists are quite capable of explaining the phenomenon with scientific point vision. When sleep moves into the rapid phase, motor functions are switched off, except for those that ensure vital functions. This is provided by the body to ensure a safe night's rest.

When light sleep occurs or at the moment of awakening, the functions are turned on, but sometimes a failure occurs, which leads to either turning off too early or turning on too late. Somnologists have noticed that this happens most often at the moment of awakening. If this is observed immediately after the fast phase, then the person falls into a stupor. The brain continues to dream, the body has not acquired the ability to move. It is difficult to move your arms and legs, which causes fear in a person.

When developing sleep paralysis, one must remember that the condition is short-term and does not threaten death or madness.

Mystical interpretation

History brings to us many Russian traditions and beliefs. In ancient times, sleep paralysis was associated with brownies, kikimors, who sit on a person’s chest, trying to warn him about something.

Muslims are of the opinion that this is the activity of genies, and in the myths of Chuvashia the character of the phenomenon is Wubar. Kalmyks are sure that this is a spirit that suffocates and does not allow them to wake up.

The Japanese blame this condition on a demon standing on the chest of the sleeping person and paralyzing his will.

Paralytic sleep and the astral plane are interconnected in many myths. It was believed that falling into such a state allows a person to go out and travel through the other world. Any sensations that a person feels are the tricks of entities from the astral plane.

Sleep paralysis statistics and research

According to statistics, about 7% of the world's inhabitants have experienced this condition at least once. Pathology is often observed in patients psychiatric clinics. About 31% of patients with mental disorders complained of old witch syndrome.

If we compare the frequency of occurrence among male and female populations, there is practically no difference. Scientists from a Canadian university studied the sensations that develop during this state. The information received was divided into several groups:

The appearance of fear and hallucinations.
Difficulty breathing and pressure on the chest.
Experience sensations such as floating, flying, or complete bliss.

One of the researchers suggested that the sensations experienced during the development of sleep paralysis are caused by the hypervigilance of the brain, which, even in sleep, should be able to discern a potential threat.

Types of pathology

Taking into account the time of development of pathology, two forms are distinguished:

Hypnagogic paralysis. Develops at the moment of falling asleep. The muscles relax, and if consciousness has not yet had time to do this, then the person begins to feel the impossibility of making a single movement. As a result panic attack and fear.
Hypnopompic paralysis strikes on awakening. Consciousness wakes up earlier than the parts of the brain responsible for movement. There is awareness of what is happening around, but the limbs do not move. This state usually lasts no more than a couple of minutes, but it feels like an eternity has passed.

Causes of paralysis

The causes of sleep paralysis vary and most often experts believe that this is a clear symptom:

Neurological disorders, such as narcolepsy.
Walking in your sleep.
Manic-depressive psychosis.

But we cannot exclude the development of pathology against the background full health. It’s just that there was a slight disorder in the nervous system in the synchronization of the inclusion of consciousness and muscles in work after sleep. The following factors can provoke such a violation:

Long-term disruption of sleep and wakefulness.
Chronic insomnia.
Stressful situations.
Depressive conditions, for example, in women in the postpartum period.
Long-term therapy with tranquilizers.
Alcoholism, drug or nicotine addiction.
Preference for sleeping on your back.
A predisposition to such conditions is inherited.
Biorhythm disturbance.

Risk groups include:

Impressionable and suggestible.
With neurotic disorders.
Having pathologies of the nervous system, for example, cerebral palsy.
People with a depleted nervous system.
Introverts who prefer to keep their experiences to themselves.
Adolescence.

Based on the reasons, we can conclude that no one is immune from this condition.

Signs and symptoms of pathology

Symptoms and manifestations of sleep paralysis will depend on the form of the pathology. For comparison and greater clarity, the information is summarized in the table:

At the moment of falling asleep	At the stage of emerging from sleep
1. Sudden awakening, creating a feeling of falling. 2. Fear arises. 3. State of numbness. 4. The structure of the body is felt. 5. There is a feeling that you can move your hands, but the implementation of the action takes a lot of time. 6. Tinnitus appears, turning into ringing.	1. Numbness of the limbs causes a sensation that can be paralyzing. 2. Heaviness on the chest. 3. Feeling of otherworldly presence. 4. A feeling of horror appears, which is difficult to get rid of. 5. Feeling of own powerlessness. 6. Daydreams or visual hallucinations. 7. Auditory illusions in the form of extraneous steps, conversations, creaking. 8. Movement appears to be happening, but in reality it is not. 9. The person tries to get out of this state, which sometimes allows him to jerk his hand or make a sound. This helps to finally throw off the shackles of sleep.

At the moment of falling asleep

At the stage of emerging from sleep

1. Sudden awakening, creating a feeling of falling.
2. Fear arises.
3. State of numbness.
4. The structure of the body is felt.
5. There is a feeling that you can move your hands, but the implementation of the action takes a lot of time.
6. Tinnitus appears, turning into ringing.

1. Numbness of the limbs causes a sensation that can be paralyzing.
2. Heaviness on the chest.
3. Feeling of otherworldly presence.
4. A feeling of horror appears, which is difficult to get rid of.
5. Feeling of own powerlessness.
6. Daydreams or visual hallucinations.
7. Auditory illusions in the form of extraneous steps, conversations, creaking.
8. Movement appears to be happening, but in reality it is not.
9. The person tries to get out of this state, which sometimes allows him to jerk his hand or make a sound. This helps to finally throw off the shackles of sleep.

In addition to the signs that are inherent in different forms of paralysis, general symptoms can be noted:

Feeling of shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Increased heart rate.
Increased blood pressure.

All manifestations have short-term nature and disappear within a few minutes, but it seems like an eternity. In the presence of neurological problems sleep stupor can trigger a panic attack.

Consequences and danger of the condition

Doctors are confident that the syndrome is not dangerous to humans, but there is a possibility of harm to mental or physical health:

If you are very frightened, there is a risk of developing respiratory spasm and heart attack.
If a person does not have enough information about sleep stupor, he may think that he is going crazy.

The symptoms are not life-threatening and after full awakening, all indicators return to normal. But it should be noted that with the frequent development of such conditions, proper rest is disrupted, so it is better to consult a doctor to find out the reasons.

Those who are too focused on their feelings in this state most often suffer negative consequences. They believe that this is a manifestation of otherworldly forces or serious illnesses.

Unfortunately, there is no reliable data on how many deaths that occurred in a dream are caused precisely by sleep paralysis.

What to do if pathology develops

It is difficult to fight such a condition in the first seconds of the development of stupor, due to the incomplete awakening of consciousness. But it is possible to drive away the “evil witch” and prevent the development of further symptoms if you realize that there is nothing otherworldly in what is happening.

Try to convince yourself at this moment that everything is in order and the condition is absolutely harmless and fleeting.
We must try to relax, and not resist our feelings with all our might.
A great way to avoid worsening your symptoms is to take as deep a breath as possible.
Try to move the muscles that you control, for example, move your eyes, tongue.
Activate your mental activity, read poetry, solve a problem in your head.
Ask your significant other to wake you up if signs of sleep stupor appear.
To prevent such a nightmare from appearing again, immediately after the symptoms disappear, you need to get up and wash with cool water.

Here's what you shouldn't do during an attack:

Understand that this is just psychosomatics and do not resist muscle weakness.
Do not hold your breath.
Do not breathe shallowly, so as not to hyperventilate the lungs, which will only aggravate the sensations.

Research confirms that people with an analytical mindset experience such states much more easily than those who believe in esotericism and otherworldly forces.

Differences between destructive sleep paralysis and other diseases

Not every time the old witch syndrome has stupor among its manifestations. In the first stages of development, the pathology may be accompanied by symptoms similar to parasomnia. This is the destruction of sleep that occurs at the moment of awakening. Usually accompanied by rapid movements eyeballs. There are several types of the disease:

fears;
sleepwalking;
nightmares;
confusion.

Symptoms of pathology may resemble something mystical, but this, unfortunately, is reality.

Nightmares may also indicate initial stage development of sleep paralysis. Unlike parasomnia, when a terrible dream occurs against the background of a colorful dream, terrible night dreams with sleep paralysis begin to occur just like that.

Unlike other diseases, the old witch syndrome after awakening is not accompanied by other manifestations, which only confirms the non-danger of this condition for humans.

Diagnostics

If this problem starts to bother you quite often, you may need treatment, but first you need to visit a specialist. A neurologist or somnologist will get acquainted with the manifestations, question the person in detail and decide on the prescription additional examination. But at the first stage, the patient must keep a diary for 1-2 months, in which all sensations in this state are noted.

Further diagnostic methods include:

Conducting surveys and testing to study the characteristics of the body.
Conducting polysomnography. While sleeping in laboratory conditions All body indicators are recorded using sensors.
If signs of narcolepsy are present, sleep latency is studied.
Psychological and neurological studies are being conducted.

After a complete examination, the specialist makes a decision and selects therapy, if necessary.

Principles of treatment of sleep stupor

If there are disturbances in the phases of sleep, this is not a sign of a serious pathology, but can lead to the development of symptoms of sleep paralysis. That is why doctors recommend undergoing treatment to prevent complications from developing. Therapy includes the following areas:

normalization of sleep;
increasing physical activity to eliminate muscle weakness;
eradication of bad habits;
creating comfortable conditions for sleep;
normalization of nutrition;
reception vitamin preparations;
therapy of chronic pathologies.

Drug treatment

In the presence of sleepy stupor, special medications are not prescribed, because this condition is not considered a pathology. But, if traditional methods do not bring results, then a specialist can prescribe drug treatment to improve falling asleep and strengthen sleep.

These means include:

"Melatonin." Take a couple of hours before bedtime. The drug does not cause serious side effects.
"Vita-melatonin." Increases resistance to stress, stimulates brain activity. The medicine is convenient to take, but a long course is not recommended.
"Neurostable." Biologically active additive, which has strengthening, soothing properties. The body becomes more resistant to stress. The composition of the product eliminates the development of side effects.

As a result of frequent sleepy stupors, it disrupts normal sleep, which leads to a deterioration in the general condition of the body. Taking vitamin supplements will help support your immune system.

Vitamin course

In such a situation, the body most needs the following vitamins:

Vitamin A – supports our health nerve cells and provides good sleep.
B vitamins. Protect the brain from overstrain, increase resistance to stress, and speed up the process of falling asleep.
Vitamin C – stimulates the synthesis of anti-stress hormones.
Vitamin D. Indispensable for normal rest, helps cope with fatigue. The body can obtain it through exposure to sunlight, but in winter it is advisable to take synthetic drugs.
Vitamin E. Takes part in normalizing brain function.
Of the macroelements, potassium and magnesium are considered the most important. Their deficiency leads to the development of anxiety and sleep disturbances.

Physiotherapy can also help with frequent sleep paralysis.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Physiotherapeutic procedures help tone the body and stabilize the nervous system. The doctor may prescribe the following measures:

Full body massage.
Electrophoresis with sedatives.
Electrosleep therapy.
Stimulation biologically active points using acupuncture.
Therapeutic baths with iodine and medicinal herbs.
Aerotherapy.
Impact of low-frequency current on nerve endings.
Electrosleep.

An integrated approach to eliminating the problem will definitely give a positive result.

Preventive actions

Sleep paralysis does not mean the presence of a serious pathology, but it can lead to the development of mental disorders, especially in suspicious people and with increased anxiety.

TO preventive measures can be attributed:

It's better to sleep on your side.
Treat existing diseases in a timely manner.
Take if you have trouble sleeping sedatives plant based.
Avoid stressful situations whenever possible.
Don't overeat before bed.
Provide comfortable conditions for sleep.

No one is immune from the development of sleep paralysis; you should not be afraid of this condition, but if there are frequent attacks, it is better to consult a doctor to rule out serious pathologies.

Sleepy stupor

Sleep paralysis is a condition after waking up when the body refuses to obey, although the consciousness is already clear. The inability to move is often accompanied by fear, even panic, rapid heartbeat, a feeling of pressure on the chest, and even hallucinations. For example, it seems to many that there is someone nearby, and this someone is clearly unfriendly.

At all times, the state of sleep paralysis has been of great interest to mystics. Demons, succubi, brownies were blamed for causing stupor and other otherworldly characters. Modern science proved that sleep paralysis is simply a minor disorder in which the body wakes up unevenly, and motor function is restored later than consciousness wakes up. This condition is completely safe, although in some cases it can be a symptom of neurological diseases.

I wonder what specific treatment sleep paralysis modern medicine cannot offer. For those who have once experienced this condition and have no desire to fall into a sleepy stupor again, doctors recommend following a daily routine, sleeping enough time suitable conditions, to refuse from bad habits. In some cases, these simple measures are not enough, and sleep paralysis occurs again. If they log into the system, then there is a possibility that this symptom is associated with some nervous diseases– in this case, you need to consult a doctor.

Fear or benefit?

At least once in your life with sleep paralysis about half of the people encountered. For most, this left rather unpleasant memories. But some, on the contrary, really value sleep paralysis and specifically study various techniques to help experience this condition.

Why enter this state? Many people believe that at the border between sleep and wakefulness, a person can easily come into contact with his subconscious, which means he can get to know himself much better than before. There is also an opinion that in such a state a person is maximally open to other worlds. Many believe that the state of sleep paralysis is ideal for various spiritual practices and unique out-of-body experiences. Finally, for those who are serious about studying their dreams, sleep paralysis offers a unique opportunity to control their dreams.

How to enter sleep paralysis

Despite the fact that sleep paralysis usually occurs upon awakening, the easiest way to artificially induce this state is when falling asleep. This can be achieved using different methods.

The easiest way is to study all the recommendations for preventing sleep paralysis and do the opposite. That is, change time zones or go to bed a couple of hours later than usual; before going to bed, exercise, giving your muscles good load; eat a hearty meal before bed; drink some alcohol ; sleep in a stuffy room in a supine position with your hands behind your head. If this does not help, then other techniques can be used.

For example, it is effective to imagine yourself falling upside down. This method is suitable for those whose imagination is well developed. You need to clearly imagine all the sensations that may arise in such a situation - the feeling of flying, the flickering in your eyes, the noise in your ears, the blowing of the wind. As a result, you can easily enter a state of sleepy stupor.

Another method is to wait until you fall asleep and, already on the threshold of sleep, remember something terrible. In some cases, this helps to enter a state of sleep paralysis, but catching the right moment for memories can be difficult.

You can try drinking a cup of strong coffee just before bed. Prerequisite: At the same time, the desire to sleep should be very strong. The drink will not have an invigorating effect immediately, but just at the moment of transition from wakefulness to sleep, and the result may be a state of sleepy stupor.

It is very important not to practice going into sleep paralysis often. Regular exercise will only exhaust the body and damage the nervous system. It is advisable to experiment on yourself no more than once every ten days, and it is better that you do not have to get up early the next day.

The most powerful technique

If the usual methods of entering sleep paralysis are ineffective, you can use a special technique. First you need to sleep for four hours and wake up with an alarm clock. Sleeping for four hours is unphysiological, and this simple measure will be enough to unbalance the functioning of the nervous system.

When the alarm clock rings, you need to get out of bed and engage in activities that require some intellectual effort. Reading or solving crossword puzzles are ideal.

After 30 minutes you need to go back to bed, preferably on your back. It is very important not to move for as long as possible - including eye movements. Within half an hour, and usually earlier, sleep paralysis should occur - consciousness will remain clear, but it will be impossible to move.

Now you can do what everything was started for - control dreams, come into contact with the subconscious , or even try to leave your body. In the first case, you can “order” any dream for yourself, for example, one in which answers to all questions will be found and all enemies will be defeated. In the second case, you can ask yourself any questions - experts say that there will definitely be an answer to them - immediately or in subsequent dreams. Finally, for out-of-body practices, one should imagine the process of the soul leaving the body - this does not happen for everyone and not always, but it leaves incomparable memories.

The syndrome occurs unexpectedly, causing horror and panic in people different ages. Sleep paralysis is a sleep disorder in which a person is unable to move or make sounds; this condition can be caused by many factors (identify the real reason the doctor will help). At the right approach the prognosis for therapy will be favorable and the patient will return to full health, healthy sleep.

What is sleep paralysis

This is a sleep disorder that is accompanied by dysfunction muscular system(the person cannot move). Sleepy stupor can occur up to 5 times a night, and there is a feeling of fear, visual and auditory hallucinations. Nevertheless, night paralysis does not pose a threat to life. The phenomenon has not yet been included in the International Classification of Pathologies, however, when diagnosing it, experts use the coding of parasomnia. The disease is caused by an imbalance between brain function and muscle tone.

Symptoms

A condition bordering the phases of wakefulness and sleep, which is accompanied by auditory or visual hallucinations, is called sleep paralysis. The signs of this pathology are often confused with the symptoms of narcolepsy and other mental disorders. Typically, sleep paralysis occurs when falling asleep and during REM sleep (before waking up). The phenomenon is characterized by the following symptoms:

eye movement remains, but paralysis of the body occurs (the person is unable to move or say anything);
attacks of suffocation are observed (a feeling of pressure on the chest, as if someone is standing on it);
visual, auditory hallucinations, feeling of someone's presence;
waking dreams, panic fear.

Causes

Experts believe that episodes of sleep paralysis are a natural biological process. The factors that provoke this phenomenon are associated with desynchronization of the functioning of the motor system and consciousness. Key reason pathology lies in problems in the functioning of the nervous system. The likelihood of a problem occurring greatly increases if the REM sleep phase is disrupted, during which the body relaxes as much as possible, but there are no dreams. If muscle relaxation occurs before the brain falls asleep, this leads to sleepy stupor.

The phenomenon often occurs in adolescents, but it can be diagnosed at any age. Some experts are inclined to believe that genetic predisposition may be a major factor in sleep disorders due to imbalances in the brain and musculoskeletal system. Other causes of sleep paralysis are:

psychiatric disorders;
frequent stress, neuroses;
taking antidepressants and other medications;
drug, alcohol addiction;
shift in daily biorhythms due to climate change, time zone;
disorders on hormonal level;
insomnia, lack of proper rest;
sleeping on your back;
violation of the rest regime.

Kinds

This condition is classified according to the time of its onset. Numbness during sleep, which is accompanied by hallucinations and the inability to move, is divided into the following types:

Hypnagogic or semi-conscious. Paralysis that occurs while falling asleep. As the body enters sleep mode, muscle tissue gradually relaxes. If this does not happen, but consciousness has not yet had time to switch off, the person remains on the verge of rest and wakefulness, unable to move and not understanding the reason for this state, as a result of which fear and panic arise.
Hypnopompic. It is experienced in the seconds of awakening, caused by the sound of an alarm clock or occurring naturally. In the REM sleep phase, the muscles are maximally relaxed (almost turned off), and brain activity is sharply increased. If at this time the area of the brain responsible for consciousness wakes up, and the area that controls the muscles is still asleep, the person is aware of what is happening around him, but cannot do anything. Natural paralysis lasts from a few seconds to a couple of minutes and is impossible to fight.

Is sleep paralysis dangerous?

Doctors do not consider bouts of sleep stupor to be life-threatening. However, the problem should be taken seriously as it can cause harm to physical and/or mental health. Possible negative consequences are:

severe fear, which will provoke a spasm of breathing or heart attack;
violation mental health when the person suffering from paralysis is not sufficiently informed about the nature of this phenomenon.

Complications and consequences

The symptoms accompanying sleep paralysis cause many people to panic, but are not life-threatening. A couple of minutes after full awakening, everything returns to normal - heartbeat, breathing, pulse, muscle activity. For most sufferers this phenomenon stupor is not dangerous, but if it occurs regularly, the pathology interferes with proper rest. If this problem occurs, it is recommended to consult a doctor and undergo medical treatment.

Nocturnal pathology can cause a lot of negative consequences, including stress, mental, nervous disorders. Due to a lack of understanding of what is happening, the sleeping person experiences strong feeling fear that if systematically repeated, it threatens the development of neurosis. It must be remembered that discomfort They are temporary and pass quickly, so you should try to relax and not focus on them. To get out of the stupor faster, experts recommend trying to move your fingers.

Negative consequences more often occur in people who become fixated on what happened, associating it with the influence of otherworldly forces or various diseases. Against this background, problems with sleep may appear due to the fear of experiencing paralysis again. Due to sleep phase disturbances, the system of natural awakening and falling asleep occurs. The sleeping person may experience the following complications that disappear after the attack:

tachycardia;
labored breathing;
visual or auditory hallucinations;
panic fear.

How to induce sleep paralysis

Despite the fact that most people are afraid of this phenomenon, there are those who would like to know how to fall into sleep paralysis and experience out-of-body experiences. As a rule, these include individuals who are interested in esotericism, astral travel, etc. To stimulate an attack, they can be advised to use one of the proposed methods to imbalance the brain and muscle tissue:

To induce stupor, you should fall asleep on your back and without a pillow. Monitor your own sensations: if the sounds change and the body completely relaxes, the desired state will be achieved.
If you are very tired, you should drink a cup of strong coffee and then go to bed. The body will relax, preparing for sleep, and coffee will prevent the brain from “switching off” at the right moment, as a result of which the expected phenomenon will occur.
Before going to bed, you need to reproduce the feeling of flying; for this, all muscles completely relax. When the necessary sensations are achieved, it can cause sleep paralysis.

Diagnostics

If the problem is regular, you should consult a doctor (neurologist, somnologist). The specialist will study the symptoms that cause the patient discomfort and disrupt sleep, causing chronic fatigue and lack of sleep. Thanks to the collection of anamnesis, the doctor will be able to select adequate measures to treat the disease. During the study, the patient will be asked to record in a diary for several weeks the sensations and dates of episodes of stupor. The main methods for diagnosing the problem are:

survey, tests, study of patient complaints, signs, individual characteristics of the syndrome;
polysomnography (a person is placed in a laboratory overnight, where sensors are used to record brain activity and the functioning of the respiratory system, which helps to study all stages of sleep);
study of average sleep latency (used in the presence of signs of narcolepsy);
neurological, psychological research.

How to get rid of sleep paralysis

Disturbance in any phase of sleep does not indicate the presence of pathology, but can cause night stupor, which experts advise to treat due to the risk of complications. The pathological condition cannot be treated conservative therapy and can transform into chronic problem. Treatment includes the following elements:

normalization of the daily routine;
regular physical activity, eliminating muscle weakness;
rejection of bad habits;
ventilation of the room;
taking a bath for maximum relaxation;
conducting a course of vitamin therapy;
normalization of diet;
treatment of chronic diseases.

Medications

An imbalance between brain and muscle activity is not classified as a disease, so special medicines There is no cure for sleep paralysis. Therapy for the problem is aimed at eliminating the factors causing sleep disturbances. However, if non-drug measures do not work, your doctor may prescribe medications to help you fall asleep and promote sleep. Such means include:

Melatonin. The drug is usually used for insomnia. The product stabilizes blood pressure and strengthens the immune system, taken 1-2 hours before bedtime. Advantages of Melatonin tablets: minimal risk adverse reactions, minus the remedy - a ban on treatment of children under 12 years of age, pregnant and lactating women.
Vita-melatonin. The drug inhibits the secretion of adenohypophysis hormones, increases the production of serotonin, normalizes circadian rhythms, improves stress resistance, and stimulates physical and mental performance. The advantages of Vite-melatonin are ease of administration, effectiveness, wide range actions. The disadvantage of the drug is that it cannot be taken for a long time (maximum 1 month). In addition, as a result of taking pills, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract may occur, allergic reactions.
Neurostable. A dietary supplement of plant origin has a sedative and general strengthening effect. Neurostabil is prescribed to people suffering from frequent attacks night stupor. Thanks to plant composition The drug increases the body's resistance to stress. The advantage of the drug is its safe composition, which almost completely eliminates the risk of side effects. The disadvantage of this remedy is that it will take them about a month to treat sleep paralysis.

Vitamins

Healthy, proper rest is the key good health And wellness. Attacks of night stupor and associated stress are reduced protective properties body, negatively affecting general condition body. Vitamins help support the immune system and prevent the development of various pathologies. The main elements that the body needs include:

vitamin A (responsible for the health of nerve cells and proper sleep; can be obtained from hard cheese, dried fruits, egg whites, butter, etc.);
B vitamins (protect against stress, brain dysfunction, chronic fatigue, normalize the process of falling asleep;
found in cereals, milk, seaweed, potatoes, nuts, liver, etc.);
ascorbic acid(stimulates the production of anti-stress hormones; a person gets it from spinach, sweet peppers, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes);
vitamin D (needed for proper rest, fatigue and decreased mental/physical activity; the body is saturated with it through Sun rays In addition, we get vitamin D from sunflower oil And sea fish);
vitamin E (normalizes brain function, eliminates drowsiness/fatigue; you can get the element from nuts, seeds, vegetable oils);
potassium (with a deficiency of the substance, sleep becomes anxious, a person often wakes up; you can get the element from bananas, baked potatoes with peels, and vegetables);
magnesium (lack of the element is manifested by insomnia, poor sleep; to replenish magnesium, include in the menu pumpkin seeds, vegetables, nuts, legumes).

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Physiotherapy is often used to treat nocturnal stupor, with the type of procedure determined by the doctor, taking into account the severity of the symptoms. Physiotherapeutic measures are aimed at psychostimulation and toning of the body to stabilize the functioning of the nervous system. Physiotherapy may include the following procedures:

massage (activates blood circulation, eliminates anxiety, relieves tension);
electrophoresis (during the procedure, the patient is administered sedatives and sedatives);
electrosleep therapy (the patient’s central nervous system is exposed to a constant current pulse);
acupuncture (the body is covered with special needles, thanks to the stimulation of acupuncture points, restorative effect);
relaxing baths with essential oils, salts, iodine (increases immunity, has a relaxing, calming effect);
aerotherapy (climatotherapy, which uses free air);
galvanization of the collar zone (the nerve endings are exposed to electric current);
electrosleep (sleep paralysis is treated using low-frequency electrical impulses; for this, electrodes are placed on the patient’s eyelids that transmit current to the brain and blood vessels).

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Method of inducing sleep paralysis

Many people know the feeling when you wake up from fear, and some unknown force prevents you from moving and calling for help. There is nothing supernatural or mystical about this. Sleep paralysis causes an imbalance between brain function and tone muscle tissue. The part of the brain responsible for consciousness begins to work, but the part that gives commands to the muscles is still asleep. The condition is not dangerous, but unpleasant. But many are interested in how to induce sleep paralysis in order to penetrate the mystery, enter conscious dream or use the state to leave the body.

IMPORTANT! The editors of the portal do not recommend trying this practice yourself. At least with physiological point vision, sleepy stupor does not harm the body, but the person experiences severe stress, overexcitement, does not have time to rest and recuperate. In emotionally excitable people, the psyche may suffer.

Technique for entering sleep paralysis

There are several ways to deceive the body and mind. It is easier to enter the borderline state between sleep and wakefulness in a supine position. You need to throw back your head, straighten your legs, stretch your arms along your body, close your eyes and relax as much as possible. You will have to lie for quite a long time and completely motionless.

The part of the brain that commands the muscles must first ensure that the eyeballs are inactive. They should not make any movements for several minutes. Having made sure that the eyeballs are motionless, the brain sends a kind of signal, which a person feels as a desire to turn around or move. If you change the position of the body, then the consciousness will “understand” that it is still impossible to turn off the muscles and will continue to wait. If you remain motionless, the brain will “think” that the mind is already asleep and will turn off the muscles.

No matter how long and annoying the desire to roll over is, you will have to ignore it. Without this, entering a sleepy stupor will not happen. Sometimes the desire to change body position is so strong that you cannot resist. Therefore, it is very important that the muscles are as relaxed as possible. Voltage causes a stronger signal.

Despite the apparent ease, not everyone succeeds in entering sleep paralysis the first time. When a person feels a slight vibration on the lips or sounds similar to a gust of wind, it means that he is in an intermediate state, and a sleepy stupor will soon occur. If you manage to stay in this position, complete relaxation of the muscles occurs. It seems that the limbs are going numb, from the feet to the top of the head the body is covered with a wave. The person thinks clearly, but cannot control the body. After which visual and auditory hallucinations may occur.

With incomplete paralysis, minor motor activity remains. You cannot strain your muscles so as not to set your limbs in motion; active twitching will cause awakening. Paralysis of motor functions is facilitated by deep and slow breathing.

How to speed up your descent into sleep paralysis

Not everyone succeeds on the first try complete absence voluntary movements of the eyeballs and muscles. Those who like to experiment with their subconscious use several tricks to trick the brain and cause a sleepy stupor.

Artificial instillation of fear. At the moment of falling asleep, you need to think intensely about something scary, evoke frightening thoughts from the subconscious until your pulse quickens and numbness sets in. This way you can turn off consciousness and speed up muscle relaxation.
Induce in your mind the sensation of falling from a height upside down. It is necessary to turn on your imagination and reproduce the entire process of the fall in the smallest detail. You need to imagine the panic of understanding what happened, free flight, wind, whistling in your ears, fear of inevitability, pain. As a result, the heart rate increases and the body begins to become numb.
Drink coffee before bed. Wait until you really want to sleep, drink coffee and immediately go to bed. The invigorating drink will take effect in about 20 minutes. Caffeine will increase brain activity and disrupt sleep quality. This is not a very good method, caffeine can cause insomnia, and after the experiment it will be impossible to fall asleep.
Interrupted sleep. You need to get up after four hours of sleep. It is assumed that a person will wake up during the period slow phase and will feel tired. Immediately after waking up, you need to give your brain a little exercise (solve problems, solve crosswords). After half an hour you need to go back to bed. After such a shake-up, consciousness is easier to deceive. If you relax well, then after about 30 minutes the onset of sleep paralysis will begin.
Excessive sleep. You need to get a good night's sleep, but after waking up, do not open your eyes and remain completely still. Process motor activity hasn't launched yet. The mind is clear and the body is in a relaxed state, so it is easy to cause a sleepy stupor.

Before you artificially fall into sleep paralysis, think about whether it is necessary to cause inconvenience to the body and deliberately deprive it of normal rest. Experts warn that frequent experiments with the subconscious mind harm the nervous system.

How to induce sleep paralysis and why you should do it

Sleep paralysis is not a pleasant experience for most people. However, those who are interested in esotericism and working with dreams, on the contrary, really value this specific state between sleep and reality and even strive to specifically enter it. How to induce sleep paralysis, is it possible, and what benefits can be derived from this condition?

At all times, the state of sleep paralysis has been of great interest to mystics. Demons, succubi, and brownies were blamed for causing stupor. Domovoy: do we know all our neighbors? and other otherworldly characters. Modern science has proven that sleep paralysis is simply a minor disorder in which the body wakes up unevenly, and motor function is restored later than consciousness awakens. This condition is completely safe, although in some cases it can be a symptom of neurological diseases.

It is interesting that modern medicine cannot offer a specific treatment for sleep paralysis. For those who have once experienced this condition and have no desire to fall into a sleepy stupor again, doctors recommend following a daily routine, sleeping enough time in suitable conditions, and giving up bad habits. In some cases, these simple measures are not enough, and sleep paralysis occurs again. If they enter the system, then there is a possibility that this symptom is associated with some kind of nervous diseases - in this case, a doctor’s consultation is necessary.

At least once in your life with sleep paralysis Sleep paralysis: a nightmare between sleep and reality about half of the people encountered. For most, this left rather unpleasant memories. But some, on the contrary, really value sleep paralysis and specifically study various techniques to help experience this condition.

How to enter sleep paralysis

Despite the fact that sleep paralysis usually occurs upon awakening, the easiest way to artificially induce this state is when falling asleep. This can be achieved using different methods.

The easiest way is to study all the recommendations for preventing sleep paralysis and do the opposite. That is, change time zones or go to bed a couple of hours later than usual; before going to bed, exercise, giving your muscles a good workout; eat a hearty meal before bed; drink some alcohol Top 10 little known facts about alcohol ; sleep in a stuffy room in a supine position with your hands behind your head. If this does not help, then other techniques can be used.

You can try drinking a cup of strong coffee just before bed. Necessary condition: the desire to sleep must be very strong. The drink will not have an invigorating effect immediately, but just at the moment of transition from wakefulness to sleep, and the result may be a state of sleepy stupor.

When the alarm clock rings, you need to get out of bed and engage in activities that require some intellectual effort. Reading or solving crossword puzzles are ideal.

Now you can do what everything was started for - control dreams, come into contact with the subconscious Subconscious: everyone fills the emptiness with what they can , or even try to leave your body. In the first case, you can “order” any dream for yourself, for example, one in which answers to all questions will be found and all enemies will be defeated. In the second case, you can ask yourself any questions - experts say that there will definitely be an answer to them - immediately or in subsequent dreams. Finally, for out-of-body practices, one should imagine the process of the soul leaving the body - this does not happen for everyone and not always, but it leaves incomparable memories.

Sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis, or sleepy stupor, is the opposite of somnambulism. It is familiar to many firsthand. Although it is quite common, there is no mention of it in the international classification of diseases; some information is found in foreign literature.

Physiologically, the condition is close to natural real paralysis, which occurs during the onset of the REM sleep phase.

This effect has its own biological meaning: a person cannot perform any actions during sleep, at this time the brain moves away from the state of REM sleep, and immobility still persists for some time.

The duration of the phenomenon can last from several seconds to 2 minutes. The condition, according to modern medical concepts, is harmless, but unpleasant.

People who have experienced it usually talk about the fear of death, lethargic sleep and madness. According to doctors, these fears have no solid basis.

This effect is often accompanied by dissociative manifestations, which are expressed as full or partial awareness of body patterns and movements. For example, a person feels that he can move any part of the body, but the transformation of thought into movement lasts, as it seems to him, for a very long time.

In addition, a person is worried about another phenomenon - “flies”. It is when sound vibrations, which may be an illusion or hallucination, are dramatically manifested in the form of an enhanced acoustic spectrum and its volume. These sound effects are then transformed into " White noise", with a predominance of a special squeak.

Symptoms of sleep paralysis:

Feeling of fear;
Feeling of pressure being applied to the body, especially the chest area;
Difficulty breathing;
It seems to a person that someone stranger is standing nearby;
Increased heart rate;
Loss of orientation in space;
A person may feel that his body is moving, although in reality this is not happening;
Vocal sensations may include noises, voices, steps;
Visual hallucinations include shadows and ghosts around.

Most often this phenomenon develops if you sleep on your back, least often - on your right side. For the most part, it is observed in sleep disorders and correlates with cataplexy, narcolepsy, and somnambulism.

It is characteristic that this effect occurs only with independent natural awakening. It does not happen if a person is awakened by a stranger or any noise.

Basically, the pathology has the following causes:

Shift of daily biorhythms, even during flights between different time zones;
Lack of sleep, especially chronic. Against the backdrop of constant stress and unfavorable situations in your personal life;
Often in people with a certain type addictions (drug, alcohol, food, nicotine);
Sleep paralysis accompanies some mental disorders and diseases;
While taking certain medications: antidepressants and nootropics.

There are suggestions that there is a genetic predisposition in the development of the disease. Some authors indicate familial cases of frequent occurrence of this condition.

Approximate statistics indicate that from 20 to 60% of people have experienced sleep paralysis in their lives. About 21% of people experienced it once, large quantity times was rare - from 4 to 5% of cases.

Factors contributing to an increase in the incidence of pathology are sleep deprivation, disrupted sleep patterns, and stressful situations.

Experiments have proven that this effect accompanies disturbances in the rapid phase of sleep and sleep in general. The pathology is often associated with anxiety neurotic state. It usually develops for the first time at the age of 10-20 years, the frequency varies from several times per year, but generally less often.

People have long called this phenomenon “old witch syndrome”; it was characterized as a phenomenon of paralysis and suffocation. People described the condition as if someone had leaned on them and was pressing on them from above. chest, often saw faces or shadows nearby. When people woke up, they spoke of the presence of someone evil and dangerous, and there was certainly a strong feeling of fear.

There are people from risk groups who are at risk of frequent development of the phenomenon:

People who are easily suggestible, have a weak or non-standard psyche;
Introverted people whose consciousness is more often “within itself”;
People who experience excessive fatigue due to their unusually resilient nervous system. Such people are in a hurry to do everything and end up exhausted.

What to do if you are sometimes bothered by this condition?

Treatment for sleep paralysis involves: simple actions that you can do yourself. First of all, you should remember that sleep paralysis has causes that should be eliminated:

Restore normal mode sleep, the duration of sleep should be at least 8 hours, although people's needs differ;
Treatment of depressive disorders;
Treatment of neurotic disorders;
Relieving stress, eliminating situations that provoke stress;
Eliminate bad habits(alcohol and smoking), drug addiction treatment by a specialist;

Everyone has their own ways to overcome the effect:

If you have the feeling that someone is holding you, you must not resist, do not try to break free, as the sensations will only intensify and the feeling of fear will increase;
Instead of resisting forcefully, on the contrary, relax as soon as you feel the onset of paralysis. If during paralysis you feel like someone is pulling your leg or trying to push you into the bed, follow the direction of the force. As a result, you will fall asleep again or actually wake up;
The phenomenon has its own characteristics: it mainly affects the chest, abdomen and throat. Therefore, during symptoms, try to divert your attention to other parts of the body: move your feet, fingers, clench your fingers into a fist. In most cases, this tactic helps get rid of the condition;
There is a simple way to get rid of the pathological condition - controlled breathing. No matter how strong the pressure may seem to you, you will always be able to breathe. At this time, it is important to breathe in and out evenly. When you do a few controlled breathing movements, you will feel the fear leaving you, you will be able to control and unpleasant feeling, arising from this condition;
You can use the help of your neighbor (spouse). To do this, make him aware of your problem so that the next time a loved one can wake you up. Your condition is easy to determine externally: emotions of tension on your face, uneven breathing, twitching will make it possible to understand that you are in a state of sleep paralysis.

How to induce sleep paralysis yourself?

Some people deliberately try to fall into a state of sleep paralysis. How to do it?

You can remember the position in which the phenomenon develops most often: on your back, during the process of falling asleep, preferably without a pillow or with your head thrown back.

There are special techniques that explain how to enter sleep paralysis yourself:

Technique of falling head down. To be more precise, it is necessary to reproduce the sensations that occur when falling upside down. The fall should be felt in every detail: tinnitus, wind, feeling of gravity. This is how you can enter a state of sleep paralysis;
Experience fear. You need to relax and reach a state of half-asleep. Then just remember something scary, and this effect should occur;
Physical activity before bed. Do squats and push-ups until you feel a strong heartbeat, this will help create the state you need;
Use cold water. Set your alarm clock 2-3 hours earlier than usual. When you wake up, wash your face with cold water and go to bed again thinking about it;
Too much sleep. If you can get a good night's sleep, do so, but don't get out of bed. Soon you will begin to fall asleep again, but the nervous system, which has already had time to rest, will soon manifest itself at the level of the physical body. Before falling asleep, think about sleep paralysis, and in almost all cases it will certainly occur.